Drum handling attachment for fork type lift trucks



March 15, 1960 w. w. CUSHMAN 2,923,563

DRUM HANDLING ATTACHMENT FOR FORK TYPE LIFT 'mucxs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1957 INVENITOR I n Wcuslzmaza ATTORNEY March 15, 1960 w. w. CUSHMAN 2,928,563

DRUM HANDLING ATTACHMENT FOR F TYPE LIFT TRUCKS Filed on. 31, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H a: a 2i t,

: iNvENroR 1 Walton WCusfimcm.

ATTORNEY BY w/m DRUM HANDLING ATTACHMENT FOR FORK TYPE LIFT TRUCKS Walton W. Cushman, Webb City, Mo.

Application October 31, 1957, Serial No. 693,791

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-620) v (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) I The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me, of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a drum handling attachment for fork type lift trucks. It has to do with means for receiving, supporting, transporting, and discharging a plurality of articles of generally like size and shape with ease andfacility.

An object of the invention is' to provide an article handling attachment for fork type lift trucks having capacity for a large number of like articles, which is capable of being easily-and rapidly loaded, transported with its load, and then unloaded at a remote point with speed and facility.

Another object is to provide an attachment as aforesaid by the use of which a freight car, loaded to capacity with empty metal drums, can be unloaded in a minimum of time, and with a minimum of effort and labor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an empty drum handling attachment having a plurality of superimposed drum-supporting surfaces which may be elevated successively to align with a freight car floor to receive the drums as unloaded until all surfaces have received and are supporting their capacity of drums.

Another object of the invention is to provide an articlesupporting attachment which may be elevated and thus extended for loading purposes and lowered and thus contracted for loading purposes; it being another object to provide a new and improved article handling attachment which is of rugged construction, yet of relatively light weight and one which may be collapsed or contracted to conserve space when not in use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic or schematic view, in top plan, illustrating one use of the invention, namely, in connection with the unloading of empty drums from a freight car and the piling or stacking of the same at a point remote from the car;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view illustrating the operation of forming a pile or stack of empty drums as discharged from the handling attachment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a loaded drum handling attachment positioned beside a freight car from which the drums have been removed;

Fig. 4 is a right side elevational view of a fork type lift truck, shown supporting the loaded attachment of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of the platforms or drum-supporting surfaces of the handling attachment;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

' at the left ofFig. 1.

2,928,563 Patented Mar. 15, 1960 looking in the direction of the-arrows, and showing one of the telescoped movable guides carried by the platforms of the attachment; and e Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the platform shown in Fig. 5, taken substantially along the line' 7-7 of Fig. 5, looking in the directions of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown, more or less schematically, one manner of using the drum handling attachment of the present invention. As shown, several box cars C of a freight train are located on a siding These cars are loaded with empty steel drums or barrels, while other barrels, which have been unloaded from other freight cars, are shown in a typical stack S of barrels or drums at the right of Fig. 1. The stack S of individual barrels or drums D is of the usual pyramid formation at its ends, see Fig. 2.

The attachment, shown as a whole at A, which oonstitutes the present invention, comprises, as shown, a plurality or series of flexibly interconnected drum-supporting platforms, shelves, or surfaces P, seven such being shown, which have, individually, a capacity of ten (10) drums or barrelsand a total or collective capacity of seventy (70) drums. as the size thereof, may be varied in accordance with the job to be done by the attachment.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 6, the various platforms are connected together by suitable flexible means, such as the chains 10 shown. Flexible cables may, however, be substituted. One pair of chains is disposed at each side of the superimposed platforms P and are connected to them by bolt and nut assemblies 11, or in any other suitable manner, see Fig. 6.

Each platform is preferably formed from steel bars, channels, or angles into a skeleton-like frame 12 which includes diagonal members 8' connected to an inside pair of back-to-back guide channels 12a, 12a, and to outside guide channels 12b, 12b, Figs. 5, 6 and 7,a pair .of inside slidable tracks 13jand one outside track 14 adjacenteach side edge of the platform, Figs. 5 and 6. These tracks,

are projectable and retractible and the inner tracks 13,

13 slide in said inside pair of back-to-back steel guide see Fig. 5. These prevent shifting or displacement of the v,

loaded drums from their supporting platforms.

In actual practice, two of the fork lift trucks T, of ample height and capacity, are employed, one being loaded from the center box car C at the left of Fig. 1, while the other and similar lift truck is discharging its load to form the stack S at the right in Fig. 1 and as in Fig. 2.

Since the various platforms P are flexibly connected together, they can be collapsed upon the ground. When, however, the attachment is to be used to unload one of the freight cars C, the forks F of the truck T are brought into engagement with the top platform P in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4 and is propelled into position along side the car C, see Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The top platform is now elevated to the approximate level of the car door sill and two rows of five (5) drums each are rolled onto the said platform, and the chocks 15 are set to hold the drums in place. The forks F are again elevated to lift the second platform P to the approximate level of the The number of platforms, as well r o sill, he unan' is. p a qtm it illed. th ten. (10) drums in two parallel rows of five each. The chocks or stops-15 "are; set and the procedure is renea u lpl tqnnsa nel dine th bottom r most suspended platform, have been filled-inlikemanirer. 5 The forks F are now tilted backandthe, trncl; and; its. burden propelled overpath; 9 to, a position atonezen f stack 8 Fignr his p ,ri Qait e -hQ E. :Q- the bottomplatfqrm; which is lowered to rest; on the; ground, arereleased and removed by hand andrthe two 10 bottom rows of drums are rolled elf; the platform; onto ea eun t as. s nl F- t 1 1-: :1 r

T e a ks 13 and 10 th ec n nlat qrm t e n w ex end d o overl e he bqtt nrmws. i dr m he heeks imieased nd removed-W am; and. hesecnnd 5 wo. ows fdrums y lede escad fmm to? Q9 nd. nest-with; the pte nnely e d; rows Ihet achs n, r .4 are retracted th tanks may bf QwI i= t'need b o; bring the a level, th itst aeks: position to, Q er ie' h.., o s o rums- Illi i pe a n is; of: some. epeat d nt l a l, o t p tfo msP a e been nloaded; wher upon the superimposed platforms 1?,[in collapsed of; stacked condition, are, temporarily. lashed together with a chain (not shown) and held thus, while thejtruck; T is broughtinto positionalongside another box-car C:- Thus, the return trip may be made with theforks Qfi'the truck inalmost fullylowered position,

The tracks are slidable out from either: end of the.- plat forms and are of SllffiCiEflt length to permitfproper'unloading of the upper rows of drums. withlrelationtotthe previously unloaded drums. The checks 15 on the'guides' for the outer tracks 14 may be of: various 't'ypes,ifixed-, or easily releasable; or it may be possible 'to-" eliminate them by providing raised portions on the guide members I i of the frame; or by slightly elevating'the opposite ends" with relation to the remainder of 'said guides. I a it Obviously, the invention is'not limited to the embodiments herein'shown and described, but may assume other forms.

Iclaim: 1. An article handling attachment for forktype lift; trucks for receiving, supporting, transporting, and disensues charging a plurality of articles of generally like size and shape, such as a row or rows of steel drums, com

: metal platforms comprising a frame having an outside guide channel at each longitudinal side thereof, a pair of inside baclgrtol-baclcg uide channels intermediate the outside guide channels and substantially parallel thereto,

a track slidably and. telescopically mounted in each of said outside guide channels, and a pair of similar tracks slidably and telescopically mounted in, said inside backto-back guide channels, said several tracks providing movablesupports for one or two "rows of steel drums while din aa l Qr unl adinaa platf tm nd being adap to be projected from and retracted into said several guide channels. l en sle d n at h en awa ding o la W n he l dah f a d es qpic llymounte tracks. ete deneadea lr s idable relati y to ne at Qther an said guide channels.

3. An article, handling attachment according to claim 1, wherein each of said platforms is provided with releasable and removable means for preventing the accidental dis: placement of said steel drums during transit.

'4. An article handling attachment'according to claim 1,

wherein a pair of movable and/or ret'novablezchocksis.

mounted, upon, the upper outer end portions of theouta. i e. i e hannels. to. maintain the row or rows of steeh drums. in; position pon. said: outside andlinside uide channels whilebeing transported by a forkt-type truck.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jackson et al. o... Jan, 16, 1923 r 2,496,399 Lesser .JFeb, 7, 1950 2,556,105 Rhett June 5, 1951 2,557,810 Garrick Nov. 3, 1953 2,687,814- Romick Aug. 31, 1954 2127, 638 Sestan Dec.20, 1955 

